Skip to content
What's After the Movie?

Jump to
What's After the Movie?
French box office · 1972

French Box Office 1972: Highest-Grossing French Movies

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) is the highest-grossing French-language movie released in 1972, with $103.2K worldwide, ahead of Cousin Jules (1972) at $29.3K and Chinese Glory (1972) at $17.4K. 6 French-language films released in 1972 report a worldwide gross, $170K in all, 74% of it from the US & Canada. By genre, Comedy leads with $103.2K across 1 French release.

1972 releases with a gross
6
combined worldwide
$170K
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972), the #1
$103.2K
earned in the US & Canada
74%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest French Hits of 1972?

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) leads with $103.2K, 61% of the total. The top 5 together took $167.6K, 99% of what all 6 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) movie poster Number 1
    $103.2K The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
    $82.5K US & Canada · 80% $20.8K elsewhere · 20%
  2. Cousin Jules (1972) movie poster Number 2
    $29.3K Cousin Jules (1972)
    $29.3K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. Chinese Glory (1972) movie poster Number 3
    $17.4K Chinese Glory (1972)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  4. We Won’t Grow Old Together (1972) movie poster Number 4
    $14.1K We Won’t Grow Old Together (1972)
    $14.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. Love in the Afternoon (1972) movie poster Number 5
    $3.5K Love in the Afternoon (1972)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every French Release of 1972, Ranked by Worldwide Gross

Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in 1972.

  1. 1 The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) movie poster
    The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) Sep 15, 1972 · Comedy $103.2K worldwide
    Sep 15, 1972 US and Canada: $82.5K Rest of the world: $20.8K Worldwide: $103.2K
  2. 2 Cousin Jules (1972) movie poster
    Cousin Jules (1972) 1972 · Documentary $29.3K worldwide
    1972 US and Canada: $29.3K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $29.3K
  3. 3 Chinese Glory (1972) movie poster
    Chinese Glory (1972) Nov 26, 1972 · War, Drama $17.4K worldwide
    Nov 26, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $17.4K
  4. 4 We Won’t Grow Old Together (1972) movie poster
    We Won’t Grow Old Together (1972) May 3, 1972 · Drama, Romance $14.1K worldwide
    May 3, 1972 US and Canada: $14.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.1K
  5. 5 Love in the Afternoon (1972) movie poster
    Love in the Afternoon (1972) Sep 1, 1972 · Romance, Drama $3.5K worldwide
    Sep 1, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.5K
  6. 6 To Be Twenty in the Aures (1972) movie poster
    To Be Twenty in the Aures (1972) May 1, 1972 · War, Drama $2.4K worldwide
    May 1, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.4K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1972?

Of the top 6, Cousin Jules (1972) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) made 20% of its gross abroad. Across all 6 films, $125.9K (74%) came from the US & Canada. 3 films of the top 6 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) $103.2K
    $82.5K US & Canada · 80% $20.8K elsewhere · 20%
  2. 2 Cousin Jules (1972) $29.3K
    $29.3K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 Chinese Glory (1972) $17.4K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  4. 4 We Won’t Grow Old Together (1972) $14.1K
    $14.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 Love in the Afternoon (1972) $3.5K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  6. 6 To Be Twenty in the Aures (1972) $2.4K
    No US & Canada figure reported
By release month

Which Month of 1972 Earned the Most?

September releases took the most, $106.8K from 2 films, led by The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972). May was the quietest month ($16.5K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan Cousin Jules (1972) $29.3K Cousin Jules (1972)
  2. February Feb No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  3. March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  4. April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  5. May May We Won’t Grow Old Together (1972) $16.5K We Won’t Grow Old Together (1972)
  6. June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  7. July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) $106.8K The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
  10. October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  11. November Nov Chinese Glory (1972) $17.4K Chinese Glory (1972)
  12. December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years

How Does 1972 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1967 earned the most: $4.8M from 7 films, led by Belle de Jour (1967). 1972 took $170K.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1963 3 films 3 $1.4M – Contempt (1963) $1.3M
1964 3 films · −86% 3 $204.7K −86% The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) $169.6K
1965 3 films · +31% 3 $269K +31% Pierrot le Fou (1965) $186.8K
1966 8 films · +110% 8 $564.1K +110% Masculine Feminine (1966) $205.5K
1967 7 films · +758% 7 $4.8M +758% Belle de Jour (1967) $4.2M
1968 3 films · −99% 3 $47.8K −99% The Bride Wore Black (1968) $45.3K
1969 6 films · +2679% 6 $1.3M +2679% Army of Shadows (1969) $931.7K
1970 5 films · −52% 5 $641.3K −52% Le Cercle Rouge (1970) $505.1K
1971 3 films · −82% 3 $113.3K −82% Four Nights of a Dreamer (1971) $72.1K
1972 6 films · +50% 6 $170K +50% The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) $103.2K
Archive

French Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1931 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2012 leads with $937.3M, led by The Intouchables (2012).

2020s 7 years · $1.5B
2010s 10 years · $4.4B
2000s 10 years · $3.5B
1990s 10 years · $113.6M
1980s 10 years · $128M
1970s 10 years · $40.3M
1960s 10 years · $17.5M
1950s 9 years · $2.2M
1940s 6 years · $456.7K
1930s 6 years · $441.2K
FAQ

French Box Office 1972: Questions & Answers

The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 6 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing French-language movie in 1972?

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) leads with $103.2K worldwide, $82.5K of it in the US & Canada. Next come Cousin Jules (1972) at $29.3K and Chinese Glory (1972) at $17.4K.

How much did French-language movies released in 1972 earn?

6 French-language films released in 1972 report a worldwide gross, $170K in all, or $28.3K per film on average.

How many French-language movies released in 1972 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972), earned $103.2K.

How much of the 1972 French box office came from the US and Canada?

$125.9K of the $170K total, or 74%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 3 films of the 6 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1972 French box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?

Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in 1972. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact, and so are films whose stored language is most likely wrong.

How often is the 1972 French box office chart updated?

Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.